Broadway and Hollywood "Movies" (Jan - Aug 1934)

“MOVIES” 9 JUNE KNIGHT By Dr. Abbuh Wretlaw WHEN such items as this “As a reward for her splendid performance in ‘Cross Country Cruise’, the picture starring Lew Ayres, Universal has exercised its option on the services of June Knight, and the blonde charmer will be affiliated with this studio for another year. Miss Knight only recently began her screen career with Universal in “Ladies Must Love”; and “Diana Bourbon, former Parisian newspaper and magazine writer and author of numerous American short stories with modern romantic backgrounds is writing a screen treatment of ‘The Indecent Age’ in which Russ Columbo, popular radio idol and June Knight, versatile musical comedy star, are to be co-featured by Universal. Both are busy now on other productions”; keep piling in, it is a sure sign that a certain young lady from California is apparently making a go of it. She’s one of the very few motion picture doubles in existence ever known to branch out for herself and win fame in her own right. Even while doubling for Garbo, in that sensuously barbaric dance in “Mata Hari,” Sam H. Harris strove to induce her to join a Broadway production. She was much interested then, however, in dancing and didn’t even know she could sing. Until one night the regular prima donna at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, in San Francisco, took sick and the manager said, “You sing the number, June. I heard you humming it backstage.” “All right, if you want me to,” June answered, “but please turn down the lights because I’d be afraid to have people watch me. sing.” The number was “Love For Sale” and her lovely soprano voice did it full justice. Then she came to New York, of course, and became the prima donna ingenue of “Hot Cha.” The blonde baby was described by Florenz Ziegfeld, at that time, as one of the most beautiful and talented girls on the American stage. Then she became dancing and singing star of the Broadway hit, “Take a Chance,” was given a long term contract by Carl Laemmle, Jr. of Universal. A native Californian, Miss Knight was brought to New York last season to share stellar honors with Lupe Velez (Mrs. Weismuller) in Ziegfeld’s “H o t Cha.” She began her picture work at Universal City at the conclusion of the “Take a Chance” engagement. It is a mistake to assume that she didn’t have any movie experience prior to that. for she has done “Take a Chance” for Paramount, with Buddy Rogers opposite her and the two Lillians, — Bond and Roth, appearing in support of her. She was “among those prominent” in “Fifty Million Frenchmen”, — both the stage and screen versions, and was also seen in “On with the Show”, the first all-color and alltalkie movie, produced by Warner-First National. Her cinematic efforts have found her working on practically every big lot in Hollywood, and I for one predict a rosy future for her. Both of her parents were, and are, Californians; they are two of the nicest, “lovingest” folks I have ever had the privilege of meeting. June is “regular”, — she is true blue all through, although some of the scissors-grinding columnists have been trying to brand her as “high hat” lately, and accusing her of having “gone Hollywood.” In addition to her ability to play, dance, act and sing superbly, June is a costume designer, and has actually created the styles for many of the dresses and afternoon sports suits she wears, although she did call upon Claire Julianne Spieker, of “Movies” magazine, to create an afternoon dress for her wear on the coast and in pictures, — a creation designed in Chinese Vermillion and chocolate brown which becomes the youthful blonde in no small degree. She swims well, has a superbly beautifully figure without showing any trace of lumpy muscles in her thighs or calves, and the last time I saw her she was sipping cold coffee and enjoying some of the frosted doughnuts from the Maxwell Coffee shop on Broadway. She likes embroidery work, and has done the actual sewing on several of her own dresses; that was some time ago, obviously, for she is up to her neck in wTork most of the time now. Asked how she liked Manhattan, she said : “I like New York,” she said, “as a place to work. It is fine; people are most hospitable; far more so than the impression one gains in the rest of the country. But I would not want tp live here permanently; I think it would be bad for my health and for my complexion. I love California and won’t be really happy until I get back there.” Asked if she was married she laughingly replied: “My name is constantly being linked with some man or other; sometimes with and sometimes ( Cont’d on page 42)